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five-cities-denounce-verizoncomcast-spectrum-deal
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Lisa Gonzalez | No Comments | Updated on Jun 6, 2012

Five Cities Denounce Verizon/Comcast Spectrum Deal

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/five-cities-denounce-verizoncomcast-spectrum-deal

If you live in Boston, Baltimore, Albany, Syracuse, or Buffalo, you won’t be getting FiOS from Verizon. Absent any public investment, you will likely be stuck with DSL and cable… like 80% of the rest of us. Not long after Verizon announced it would cease expanding FiOS, we learned that Verizon was coming to an… Continue reading

Amazon-info-image2
Featured Article, Resource filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | 22 Comments | Updated on Jun 5, 2012

Amazon Infographic: How a Single Company Gained a Stranglehold over Online Shopping and the Future of Retail

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/amazon-infographic/

This infographic tracks how Amazon bullied and swindled its way to becoming one of the most powerful retailers on the planet. On pace to be bigger than Walmart by decade’s end, Amazon already controls more than one-third of online shopping and is growing four times faster than e-commerce overall. Continue reading

leverett-massachusetts-approves-broadband-funding
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Lisa Gonzalez | No Comments | Updated on Jun 4, 2012

Leverett, Massachusetts Approves Broadband Funding

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/leverett-massachusetts-approves-broadband-funding

We brought you news of Leverett, Massachusetts and their decision this spring to pursue a municipal fiber optic network. In April, voters approved a measure to develop the initiative, and this past weekend took the last step toward building the network. The town of 1,851, voted to raise their taxes to pay for a fiber-to-the-home… Continue reading

schoolbus
Featured Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Jun 4, 2012

Business Can’t Win the Privatization Game Without a Handicap

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/private-sector-isnt-competitive-subsidy/

Handicapping occurs in sports to equalize the winning chances of contestants of varying abilities. Sometimes, as in horse racing, superior horses, based on past performance, are required to carry more weight.  Sometimes, as in golf, poorer players are allowed more strokes. Unbeknownst to most of us, the competition between the public and private sectors is… Continue reading

susan-crawford-presentation-at-freedom-to-connect
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on Jun 3, 2012

Susan Crawford Presentation at Freedom to Connect

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/susan-crawford-presentation-freedom-connect

Susan Crawford was one of the featured presenters at Freedom to Connect 2012 and her presentation was noted by Tech Dirt: To support her thesis, Crawford presented some stunning numbers. In the last two years, Comcast market share has grown from 16.3 million subscribers to 18.5, a 14 percent growth. Time Warner Cable has grown… Continue reading

wireless-fiber-the-speed-of-light-and-wall-street
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on Jun 2, 2012

Wireless, Fiber, the Speed of Light, and Wall Street

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/wireless-fiber-speed-light-and-wall-street

A few weeks ago, I read that Wall Street traders had invested $300 million in a new fiber optic line between Chicago and New York City to shave a few milliseconds off the existing route in order to gain a massive advantage for their computer trading algorithms. This investment, which could have brought real value… Continue reading

Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | 1 Comment | Updated on Jun 1, 2012

A City is Not a Private Corporation Austin Reminds Us

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/austin-reminding-city-private-corporation/

A private corporation has one legal obligation:  to maximize the return to its shareholders.  As Milton Friedman famously remarked, “There is one and only one social responsibility of business-to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profit….” A city is also legally structured as a corporation, but a municipal corporation has… Continue reading

utopia-scapegoated-as-area-cities-increase-taxes
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on Jun 1, 2012

UTOPIA Scapegoated as Area Cities Increase Taxes

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/utopia-scapegoated-area-cities-increase-taxes

Jesse Harris has posted an interesting update on the present UTOPIA situation, where a number of cities are heaping perhaps too much blame on UTOPIA for rising local taxes. A lot of cities have been talking property tax hikes lately, and the most certain thing about all of the proposals is that elected officials are… Continue reading

fiber-referendum-fails-in-siloam-springs
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on May 31, 2012

Fiber Referendum Fails in Siloam Springs

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/fiber-referendum-fails-siloam-springs

In an unsurprising result, voters in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, chose not to build their own FTTH network. The margin was 58% against, 42% for. According to that article, the opponents (bankrolled largely by national cable company Cox) outspent proponents by 3:1. We previously covered this plan and were concerned that the number one reason identified… Continue reading

hbc-steps-down-from-managing-fibernet-monticello
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on May 30, 2012

HBC Steps Down from Managing FiberNet Monticello

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/hbc-steps-down-managing-fibernet-monticello

In a surprise move, HBC has announced it will end management of FiberNet Monticello, though the actual time frame has not been announced. FiberNet Monticello is a FTTH network approximately 45 miles northwest of Minneapolis. HBC has been operating the publicly owned network, offering triple play services, since inception. FiberNet Monticello has had a particularly… Continue reading